We studied how surgical technology is bought and used as decisions shift from surgeons to patients and insurers.
The challenge
Medical technology firms increasingly drive surgical advances. B. Braun needed to understand this shift and how much say patients have in their care.
Our approach
We observed surgical procedures from both patient and staff points of view, and followed the cleaning and sterilisation journey of reusable equipment. We also interviewed patient groups, buying managers, senior nurses and executives to learn which technologies are used today, what drives purchase decisions, and how they see the future of surgery and of the relationship between hospitals and technology suppliers.
The result
A view of the new paradigm: new technologies bring new methods and opportunities, and surgeons can specialise through technical ability. Technology can make procedures more cost-effective, reliable and intuitive, and closer collaboration between hospitals, medical societies and technology companies will matter more as ethics, access and hospital economics come to the fore.
